The treatment of certain blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and beta-thalassemia major requires chronic transfusion therapy. This leads to an accumulation of iron in the tissues which, in turn, eventually results in failure of essential organs and death. This toxic buildup of iron results from the lack of a physiological mechanism in man for the excretion of iron. Attempts to remove iron from the body have lead to a search for therapeutic ferric ion chelating agents. This research project will involve the preparation of new types of ligand structures, the development of new synthetic procedures for such ligands, and the in vitro evaluation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the iron-removal capability of these ligands from human transferrin.